We combine constraints from analyticity with experimental electron-proton scattering data to determine the proton magnetic radius without model-dependent assumptions on the shape of the form factor. We also study the impact of including electron-neutron scattering data, and ππ → NN data. Using representative datasets we find for a cut of Q 2 ≤ 0.5 GeV 2 , r p M = 0.91 +0.03 −0.06 ± 0.02 fm using just proton scattering data; r p M = 0.87 +0.04 −0.05 ± 0.01 fm adding neutron data; and r p M = 0.87 +0.02 −0.02 fm adding ππ data. We also extract the neutron magnetic radius from these data sets obtaining r n M = 0.89 +0.03 −0.03 fm from the combined proton, neutron, and ππ data.

In this work we assess the potential of discovering new physics by searching for lepton-flavour-violating (LFV) decays of the Z boson, $$Z\rightarrow \ell _i \ell _j$$ Z → ℓ i ℓ j , at the proposed circular $$e^+e^-$$ e + e - colliders CEPC and FCC-ee. Both projects plan to run at the Z-pole as a “Tera Z factory”, i.e., collecting $${\mathcal {O}}\left( 10^{12} \right) $$ O 10 12 Z decays. In order to discuss the discovery potential in a model-independent way, we revisit the LFV Z decays in the context of the Standard Model effective field theory and study the indirect constraints from LFV $$\mu $$ μ and $$\tau $$ τ decays on the operators that can induce $$Z\rightarrow \ell _i \ell _j$$ Z → ℓ i ℓ j . We find that, while the $$Z\rightarrow \mu e$$ Z → μ e rates are beyond the expected sensitivities, a Tera Z factory is promising for $$Z\rightarrow \tau \ell $$ Z → τ ℓ decays, probing New Physics at the same level of future low-energy LFV observables.

Many extensions of the standard model contain an extra U (1) gauge group with a heavy Z gauge boson. Perhaps the most clear signal for such a Z would be a resonance in the invariant mass spectrum of the lepton pairs to which it decays. In the absence of such a signal, experiments can set limits on the couplings of such a Z , using a standard formula from theory. We repeat its derivation and find that, unfortunately, the standard formula in the literature is a factor of 8 too small. We briefly explore the implication for existing experimental searches and encourage the high energy physics community to re-examine analyses that have used this formula.

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